Some are wearing masks of clay, tucked into special alcoves that line the walls. The eerie line-up was discovered in the ruins of the great Chimú culture capital city of Chan Chan, which is still rendering up its secrets.

They’re around 800 years old, and may have served as “guardian”-type figures, according to the archaeologists who uncovered them.

Each stands about 70 centimetres tall (27.5 inches), and each of the figures represents a different anthropomorphic character. Their masks are of beige clay, and each carries a sceptre, with a circular object on the back that could represent a shield.

The 33-metre (108.2-foot) passageway lined by these unnerving figures likely led to a ceremonial courtyard in the Utzh An walled complex.